Acquisition order signed for long-range military radars

An acquisition order has been signed with France which will see the delivery of long-range military radars, under the Military Radar Programme.

The order has been confirmed by Minister for Defence, Helen McEntee.

In July, the minister secured Government approval for the first part of the Final Business Case which has now resulted in the Department of Defence signing the Acquisition Order with the procurement arm of the French Ministry for the Armed Forces, the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA).

This will see delivery of five deployable Thales long-range radar systems, commencing next year, with the full capability in place by the end of 2028.

Minister McEntee said it was "a further significant milestone in terms of delivery of the Military Radar Programme which was a key recommendation made by the Commission on the Defence Forces".

The minister said that Ireland was on track to deliver a complete Recognised Air Picture of Irish airspace by the end of 2028 which would "very significantly enhance Ireland’s ability to protect our skies".